Dr. Jennie Doke-Kerns is a life-long resident of the greater Des Moines area. As a first generation college student from the southwest side of Des Moines, Jennie began her college education at DMACC and later went on to receive a bachelor’s in Secondary Education and English. She completed a MS in Effective Teaching, Learning, and Leadership from Drake in 2004, and a MA in 2008. In 2016, Jennie earned her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Drake University.

​

Dr. Doke-Kerns has spent more than 25 years in education, teaching at the high school and the college levels, as well as spending four years in administration overseeing DMACC’s college in prison programs and adult education initiatives. Jennie is now an English and Humanities Professor and Academic Support Services Coordinator on DMACC’s West Campus. She has served as chair of the Iowa Organization for Student Success, the chair of the Iowa Consortium for Higher Education in Prison, and a board member of Iowa Prison Industries.

 

Currently Jennie serves as a board member at the Young Women Resource Center, chair of West Des Moines Democrats, and Past Chair of DMACC’s Diversity Commission. She also works on the college’s College Council, Veteran and Military Support Committee, and as a campus representative for the West Campus on the Higher Education Association, a Union organization.

​

Jennie lives in the neighborhood around Valley Junction with her husband and younger children; their home near Hillside Elementary has been in the family for more than 25 years. Dr. Doke-Kerns is committed to community service and fostering an inclusive West Des Moines that celebrates diversity and enhances belonging for all its residents and guests.